Daniel Daly

Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph "Dan" Daly (November

11, 1873 April 27, 1937) was a United States Marine
and one of only nineteen men (including seven Marines)
to have received the Medal of Honor twice. Of the
Marines who are double recipients, only Daly and Major
General Smedley Butler received their Medals of Honor
in two, separate, conicts.
Daly is said to have yelled, Come on, you sons of bitches,
do you want to live forever?" to the men in his company
prior to charging the Germans during the Battle of Belleau Wood in World War I.
Major General Butler described Daly as, The ghtin'est
Marine I ever knew!" Daly reportedly was oered an ofcers commission twice to which he responded that he
would rather be, "...an outstanding sergeant than just another ocer.
The Medals of Honor are on display at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia.

Biography

Daly was born on November 11, 1873 in Glen Cove, New Daly being awarded the Mdaille militaire.
York. By size, he was a small man (5'6 or 1.68 m in
height, 132 lbs or 60 kg),[1] but established himself as an
He was awarded the Navy Cross for repeated deeds of
amateur boxer.
heroism and great service during the Battle of Belleau
Wood in World War I.

1.1

Daly retired on February 6, 1929.

Marine Corps service

Hoping to participate in the SpanishAmerican War, he

1.2 Death and burial
enlisted in the Marine Corps on January 10, 1899 and
received his initial training at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.[2]
Daly died on April 27, 1937. He is buried at Cypress
The war ended before he nished training.
Hills National Cemetery, Section 5, Grave No. 70.
In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion in China, he received
his rst Medal of Honor for single-handedly defending his
position against repeated attacks and inicted casualties
2 Do you want to live forever?"
of around 200 on the attacking Boxers.

quote

His second Medal of Honor came fteen years later,

when he was ghting with US forces supporting the government in Haiti against rebels. On the night of October
24, 1915, in the Battle of Fort Dipitie, he was part of a
group of 35-41 Marines who were ambushed by a force
of approximately 400 Cacos (Haitian insurgents). He led
one of the three groups of men during the ght to reach
a nearby fort and was awarded the medal for his conspicuous actions.

Daly is popularly attributed in Marine Corps lore as

yelling, Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to
live forever?" to his men during the Battle of Belleau
Wood. Daly later told a Marine Corps historian that his
words were For Christs sake mencome on! Do you
want to live forever?" The Chicago Tribune correspondent Floyd Gibbons, who was at Belleau Wood, reported
1

DECORATIONS AND HONORS

On November 10, 2005, the United States Postal Service

issued its Distinguished Marines stamps in which Daly was
honored, along with three other Marine Corps heroes.
Besides Daly, these stamps honored John Basilone, John
A. Lejeune, and Chesty Puller.[5]

3.2 Medals
Dalys decorations and medals includes two Medals of
Honor; the Navy Cross; Distinguished Service Cross;
three Letters of Commendation; Good Conduct Medal
with two bronze stars; China Relief Expedition Medal;
Philippine Campaign Medal; Expeditionary Medal with
one bronze star; Mexican Service Medal; Haitian Campaign Medal; World War I Victory Medal with Aisne,
St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, and Defensive-Sector clasps
and Citation Star; Mdaille militaire; Croix de Guerre
with Palm; and the Fourragre (the last three awards are
from the French government; only the Croix de Guerre is
authorized for wear by US personnel. A special exception
is made for the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments, however.
Those units are permitted to wear the Fourragre with
their dress uniforms).[6][7][8]

Daly is buried at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in New York

City.

hearing the words in his 1918 memoir And They Thought

We Wouldn't Fight, which he attributed to an unnamed
gunnery sergeant (Daly was a rst sergeant at the time).
Gibbons was attached to elements of Major Benjamin S.
Berrys battalion (3rd Battalion 5th Marines) during the
battle, but Daly was the First Sergeant of the 73rd Machine Gun Company, a part of 3rd Battalion 6th Marines
under the command of Major Berton W. Sibley. Sibleys
battalion attacked south of Berrys and were on the outskirts of Lucy-le-Bocage when Daly made the cry. Additionally, 6th Marines commander Colonel Albertus W.
Catlin implied in his memoir that the yell came from an
unnamed sergeant in Berrys battalion.[3]

3.3 Medal of Honor

3.3.1 First award 1901
Awarded for actions during the China Relief
General Orders: War Department, General Orders No.
55 (July 19, 1901)
Action Date: 14-Aug-00
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: Private
Battalion: Captain Newt Hall's Marine Detachment

Regiment: 1st Regiment (Marines)

An earlier use of a similar phrase is attributed to
Frederick the Great: Lads, do you want to live forever?" Citation:
(German: Kerle, wollt ihr ewig leben?), addressing retreating Prussian troops at the 1757 Battle of Koln.[4]
The President of the United States of
America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor (First
Award) to Private Daniel Joseph Daly (MCSN:
3 Decorations and honors
73086), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with the
3.1 Honors
Captain Newt Halls Marine Detachment, 1st
Regiment (Marines), in action in the presA Fletcher-class destroyer USS Daly (DD-519) was
ence of the enemy during the battle of Peking,
named in honor of Daly and was commissioned on 10
China, 14 August 1900, Daly distinguished
March 1943.
himself by meritorious conduct.[9]

3.5
3.3.2

Navy Cross
Second award 1915

Awarded for actions during the U.S. Invasion and Occupation of Haiti
Action Date: 24-Oct-15
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: Gunnery Sergeant
Company: 15th Company (Mounted)
Regiment: 2d Marines
Citation:
The President of the United States of
America, in the name of Congress, takes
pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor
(Second Award) to Gunnery Sergeant Daniel
Joseph Daly (MCSN: 73086), United States
Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with the 15th Company of
Marines (Mounted), 2d Marine Regiment, on
22 October 1915. Gunnery Sergeant Daly was
one of the company to leave Fort Liberte, Haiti,
for a six-day reconnaissance. After dark on the
evening of 24 October, while crossing the river
in a deep ravine, the detachment was suddenly
red upon from three sides by about 400 Cacos concealed in bushes about 100 yards from
the fort. The Marine detachment fought its way
forward to a good position, which it maintained
during the night, although subjected to a continuous re from the Cacos. At daybreak the
Marines, in three squads, advanced in three
dierent directions, surprising and scattering
the Cacos in all directions. Gunnery Sergeant
Daly fought with exceptional gallantry against
heavy odds throughout this action.[10]

3.4

Distinguished Service Cross

Awarded for actions during the World War I

General Orders: War Department, General Orders No.
101 (1918)
Action Date: June 5, 7, & 10, 1918
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: First Sergeant
Company: 73d Company
Regiment: 6th Regiment (Marines)
Division: 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces
Citation:
The President of the United States of
America, authorized by Act of Congress, July

3
9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Sergeant
Daniel Joseph Daly (MCSN: 73086), United
States Marine Corps, for repeated deeds of
heroism and great service while serving with
the Seventy-Third Company, Sixth Regiment
(Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., on 5 June and
7, 1918 at Lucy-le-Bocage, and on 10 June
1918 in the attack on Bouresches, France. On
June 5th, at the risk of his life, First Sergeant
Daly extinguished a re in an ammunition
dump at Lucy-le-Bocage. On 7 June 1918,
while his position was under violent bombardment, he visited all the gun crews of his company, then posted over a wide portion of the
front, to cheer his men. On 10 June 1918,
he attacked an enemy machine-gun emplacement unassisted and captured it by use of hand
grenades and his automatic pistol. On the same
day, during the German attack on Bouresches,
he brought in wounded under re.[11]

3.5 Navy Cross

Awarded for actions during the World War I
Action Date: June 5, 7, & 10, 1918
Service: Marine Corps
Rank: First Sergeant
Company: 73d Company
Regiment: 6th Regiment (Marines)
Division: 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces
Citation:
The President of the United States of
America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy
Cross to First Sergeant Daniel Joseph Daly
(MCSN: 73086), United States Marine Corps,
for repeated deeds of heroism and great service while serving with the 73d Company, 6th
Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F., on
June 5 and 7, 1918 at Lucy-le-Bocage, and
on 10 June 1918 in the attack on Bouresches,
France. On June 5th, at the risk of his life,
First Sergeant Daly extinguished a re in an
ammunition dump at Lucy-le-Bocage. On 7
June 1918, while his position was under violent bombardment, he visited all the gun crews
of his company, then posted over a wide portion of the front, to cheer his men. On 10
June 1918, he attacked an enemy machinegun emplacement unassisted and captured it by
use of hand grenades and his automatic pistol.
On the same day, during the German attack
on Bouresches, he brought in wounded under
re.[12]

3.6

Silver Star citation

EXTERNAL LINKS

[7] Daniel Daly ribbons

(Not to be confused with the Silver Star Medal)

[8] US Marines Birthplace

Awarded for actions during the World War I

[9] Daniel J. Daly MOH (First Award)". Hall of Valor.

Military Times. Retrieved 21 July 2011.

General Orders: Citation Orders, 2d Division, American

[10] Daniel J. Daly MOH (Second Award)". Hall of Valor.
Expeditionary Forces
Military Times. Retrieved 21 July 2011.

Action Date: June 6 - July 10, 1918

[11] Daniel J. Daly DSC. Hall of Valor. Military Times.

Retrieved 21 July 2011.

Service: Marine Corps

Rank: First Sergeant

[12] Daniel J. Daly Navy Cross. Hall of Valor. Military

Times. Retrieved 21 July 2011.

Company: Machine Gun Company

Regiment: 6th Regiment (Marines)
Division: 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces

[13] Daniel J. Daly Silver Star. Hall of Valor. Military

Times. Retrieved 21 July 2011.

Citation:
By direction of the President, under the
provisions of the act of Congress approved
July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918),
First Sergeant Daniel Joseph Daly (MCSN:
73086), United States Marine Corps, is cited
by the Commanding General, SECOND Division, American Expeditionary Forces, for gallantry in action and a silver star may be placed
upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded
him. First Sergeant Daly distinguished himself
while serving with Machine Gun Company,
Sixth Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces at Chateau-Thierry,
France, 6 June - 10 July 1918.[13]

See also
List of Historically Important U.S. Marines
List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Boxer Rebellion

Notes

[1] Double Congressional Medal of Honor

ent Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph
MedalofHonor.com.

recipiDaly.

[3] Martin, pp. 4648

[4] Duy, Christopher (1985). Frederick the Great: A Military Life. Australia: Law Book Co of Australasia. ISBN
978-0-7100-9649-4.

[6] Hall of Valor

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United
States Marine Corps.
Sergeant Major Daniel Dan Joseph Daly, USMC,
Whos Who in Marine Corps History, History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 9
September 2015.
Daniel Daly. Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave. Retrieved 2007-12-13.

Scott, Stephen W. (2009). Sergeant Major Dan

Daly: The Most Outstanding Marine of All Time.
PublishAmerica. ISBN 1-60836-465-8.

7 External links

[2] Scott, p. 17

[5] Stamp. Retrieved October 5, 2010.

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United
States Army Center of Military History.

Martin, Iain C. (2007). The Greatest U.S. Marine

Corps Stories Ever Told: Unforgettable Stories of
Courage, Honor, and Sacrice. The Lyons Press.
ISBN 978-1-59921-017-9.

List of Medal of Honor recipients

6 References

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

Daniel Daly Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Daly?oldid=721706802 Contributors: The Epopt, Jinian, PaulinSaudi, Jeq,
Bearcat, Gentgeen, Carnildo, Peterklevy, Wwoods, Pitchka, Marine 69-71, Klemen Kocjancic, Rich Farmbrough, Vsmith, Czrisher, Noren,
LtNOWIS, Knowledge Seeker, Herodotos, CountZeroInterrupt, PoccilScript, Tabletop, Marudubshinki, Edison, Sango123, Nam, Qqqqqq,
Bgwhite, Artoro, Cyberherbalist, Pigman, Windyjarhead, SmackBot, Looper5920, GrummelJS, Herostratus, Hmains, ERcheck, Colonies
Chris, Conorchurch, ShogunMaximus, Jwillbur, K72ndst, Esrever, Xdamr, Sir Rhosis, Djharrity, Nehrams2020, Richard75, LCpl, Cydebot, Hydraton31, Jack O'Lantern, RobotG, Bunns USMC, Uvaphdman, Dr. Submillimeter, DuncanHill, Agerstein, JaGa, MartinBot, CliC, HOT L Baltimore, Irish Melkite, J.delanoy, MooresLaw, FLJuJitsu, BrokenSphere, AllanDeGroot, Colin 8, HenryLarsen,
Alex.rosenheim, Bahamut0013, SieBot, StAnselm, Kingbird1, Kumioko (renamed), Denisarona, The Thing That Should Not Be, FieldMarine, Parkwells, Ricardio Sentulio, Sallicio, BobJones77, Fastily, Irdyb, Rreagan007, Addbot, ChynaChyca, Dunhere, Yoenit, Delta27,
Glane23, Yobot, SmedleyButler, AnomieBOT, Materialscientist, Citation bot, Pfagan92, Coltsfan, Cresix, DrRockzo, RightCowLeftCoast,
FrescoBot, Savilian33, LucienBOT, Fat&Happy, Tim1357, Badkarma9999, Stephenwaynescott, Illegitimate Barrister, Swscott1, Aeonx,
Bullmoosebell, Diodecimus, Pokbot, ClueBot NG, Helpful Pixie Bot, Boriaj, The Mark of the Beast, Billybob4000, Finnegas, Benkickshaas, TheFrog001, WPGA2345, YukonSam, Abattoir666, Sforbes22, HMSLavender, Matiia, Liance, Runeclaw, Ddaly2020, KasparBot,
Barbequeue and Anonymous: 111

8.2

Images

File:Award-star-silver-3d.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Award-star-silver-3d.png License: CC

BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Lestatdelc
File:Bronze-service-star-3d.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Bronze-service-star-3d.png License:
CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Lestatdelc
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Cypresshills03.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Cypresshills03.jpg License: CC BY 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: K72ndst
File:DanDaly_MedailleMilitaire.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/DanDaly_MedailleMilitaire.jpg
License: Public domain Contributors: Google Books image of <a data-x-rel='nofollow' class='external text' href='http://books.google.com/
books?id=KhgOAQAAIAAJ,<span>,&,</span>,pg=PA489#v=onepage,<span>,&,</span>,q,<span>,&,</span>,f=false'>The National
Geographic Magazine Index, Vol. 36 (JulyDecember 1919), p. 489</a> Original artist: Underwood & Underwood
File:Flag_of_the_United_States_Marine_Corps.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Flag_of_the_
United_States_Marine_Corps.svg License: Public domain Contributors:
Marine_corps_ag.gif Original artist: Marine_corps_ag.gif: Himasaram
File:Flag_of_the_United_States_Marine_Corps_(1914-1939).png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/
Flag_of_the_United_States_Marine_Corps_%281914-1939%29.png License: Public domain Contributors: http://blog.patriotsurplus.com/
Original artist: United States Marine Corps
File:Fokker_Dr._I_(117710246).jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Fokker_Dr._I_%28117710246%
29.jpg License: CC BY-SA 2.0 Contributors: Fokker Dr. I Original artist: Jerzy Kociatkiewicz from Colchester, United Kingdom
File:Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/48/Folder_Hexagonal_Icon.svg License: Cc-bysa-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Fourragre_CG.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Fourrag%C3%A8re_CG.png License: Public
domain Contributors: collection personnelle Original artist: davric
File:Marine_Corps_Expeditionary_ribbon.svg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Marine_Corps_
Expeditionary_ribbon.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Vectorized from raster image <a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/File:USMCExRib.gif' class='image'><img alt='USMCExRib.gif' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/
c/c0/USMCExRib.gif/96px-USMCExRib.gif' width='96' height='27' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/
USMCExRib.gif 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/USMCExRib.gif 2x' data-le-width='106' data-leheight='30' /></a> USMCExRib.gif Original artist: Ipankonin
File:Marine_Corps_Good_Conduct_ribbon.svg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Marine_Corps_
Good_Conduct_ribbon.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Vectorized from raster image <a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/File:USMCGC.gif' class='image'><img alt='USMCGC.gif' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/
USMCGC.gif/100px-USMCGC.gif' width='100' height='28' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/USMCGC.
gif 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/USMCGC.gif 2x' data-le-width='106' data-le-height='30' /></a>
Original artist: Ipankonin
File:P_vip.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/69/P_vip.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Portal-puzzle.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fd/Portal-puzzle.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ?
Original artist: ?
File:USMC_logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/USMC_logo.svg License: Public domain Contributors: DoD website: http://www.defenselink.mil/multimedia/web_graphics/#mc Original artist: U.S. Government
File:US_flag_48_stars.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/US_flag_48_stars.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work based on PD info Original artist: Created by jacobolus using Adobe Illustrator.
File:Wikiquote-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: Own work Original artist: Rei-artur

8 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

File:World_War_I_Victory_Medal_ribbon.svg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/World_War_I_
Victory_Medal_ribbon.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Vectorized from raster image <a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/File:WWIRib.gif' class='image'><img alt='WWIRib.gif' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/WWIRib.gif'
width='106' height='30' data-le-width='106' data-le-height='30' /></a> Original artist: Ipankonin

8.3

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0